Bet On Me
by ROCkER.JACkSON
Summary: Elizabeth's life is turned upside down when Jason leaves town. Her heart had screamed for her to go with him, but obligation held her back. With the help of two very loving, generous guards, Elizabeth will learn the true meaning of standing on her own two feet. Will she have enough strength and determination to fight for Jason when he returns or will she crumble under pressure?
1. Chapter 1

Hopeless. That had to sum up her entire existence since she walked away from Jason in the park a few weeks back. Hopeless. The day he left, Elizabeth's life was like a sailor without a northern star to show them the way. That's what he was for her, she decided, Jason was her northern star.

Shifting herself in yet another hospital bed, Elizabeth grips the covers around her, another thing that has happened a lot more than she likes since Jason left. Landing herself in the hospital. Never intentionally, always some kind of accident or another, but still...she has seen the inside of that hospital a lot more than she likes.

Running through the incidents in her head, Elizabeth brings the sum total to seven hospital visits since Jason left town. The nurses have wondered if she was going for some kind of record. Maybe she was. She really didn't know, but she just couldn't help herself.

The first time she landed in the hospital, she had been lost in thought, staring at Lucky as he went on and on about dinner plans, that she didn't realize how tightly she was squeezing the glass in her hand until it shattered to pieces under her intense grip. Glancing down at her hand, she notes that its just about healed.

The second time, now that definitely wasn't her fault, she's sure of that much. Emily, Nikolas, and Lucky were arguing, in a playful way, about what they'd be doing that weekend. She wasn't paying attention, as usual, lost in blank thoughts, when she moved to stand up and was rammed into by a rambunctious teenager catching a football inside the diner.

Reaching up, she touched the spot on her forehead that needed stitches. With a sigh, she drops her hand, that would take a little while longer to heal. It wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't hit her head on her chair on the way down. She was knocked out instantly.

Then there was the time that she tripped over her own feet, walking with Lucky to her studio, causing her to fall head first down the stairs. Number three. Elizabeth could have sworn that he had time to catch her before she fell, but he just didn't want to risk him falling, as well. Of course, his excuse was that it all happened too fast and he was in shock after she fell.

Forgetting to use mittens when she pulled the brownies out of the oven, burned her hands pretty good with that one, making it number four. Number five, that was interesting in its own, never one to be sporty or physically fit, Elizabeth ran until her legs gave out and she went crashing into the hard asphalt. Scratched up her knees pretty good.

Six, fainting at a Face of Deception photo shoot, she had been so overwhelmed with her life that she just fainted. Not as crazy as the other instances, but it was bad enough to land her back in the hospital. She felt like Laura had overreacted, but she wouldn't tell the older woman that. No way.

Which brings her to this last incident, unlucky number seven, the only incident that would require more than a day in the hospital. She wasn't looking for trouble, had said as much when Carly got in her face, but the stupid blonde just wouldn't back off. Obviously pissed off at her for being the reason Jason wasn't in town.

Normally, Elizabeth wouldn't indulge Carly, but this time was different. Elizabeth was angry. She was seething with anger and guilt. Anger because she was letting everyone dictate her life, not really caring to speak up or stand out.

Guilt for treating Jason the way that Lucky had treated her when he first came back. Stringing him along and hurting him in the end. Yes, she's angry and guilty, but most of all she was just so sick and tired of Carly getting in her face like she had the right. So, dipping into her Lizzie persona, Elizabeth went postal on the blonde's ass.

It took all of the guards, Lucky, and even Nikolas, to pry Elizabeth and Carly apart. When the dust settled, Carly settling down from her shouts and curses, they both wound up needing a trip to the hospital. Thankfully, for both women, the stupid idea of putting them in the same room was quickly rectified.

A knock sounds at the door, putting a stop to Elizabeth's self reflection long enough to look at who has chosen to visit her now. She swore under her breath that she'd scream if it was one of her friends again. It took everything to get them to leave. Four Musketeers and what not, they wanted to be there for her. Right.

"Come in." she calls to the visitor when they don't walk in.

"Hey...its just me." an unexpected face pokes in, smiling slightly at her. "Do you mind?"

"No...not at all." she moves to sit up, smiling slightly, running her fingers through her hair to look more presentable. "I didn't expect you to stop by."

"And here I thought we had a better friendship than that." he chuckles softly, walking in and closing the door. "How're you feeling?"

"Sore." she admits. "I didn't mean to be rude, Francis, I just...I'm sure Sonny's pretty pissed that I attacked his wife."

"Sonny's my boss." Francis says simply, pulling up a chair. "Doesn't make me his servant. I'll see who I want when I want."

"I'm glad." she shakes her head, trying to relish in the fact that she still had a friend in him.

"Look, I know you've been having a hard time since...since he left." Francis looks at her expectantly. "But seven hospital visits...Elizabeth..."

"I know, okay?" she sighs, wishing he didn't bring it up. "Stuff happens and...its not a big deal."

"You getting hurt is a big deal." he counters, giving her his serious look. "I know things between you and Ja...the two of you are messed up right now...doesn't mean that you shouldn't care about your well being. What's really going on?"

And just like that, she caved.

"I hate myself." she mutters, fighting off the tears. "I hate myself for hurting him...for everything."

"Elizabeth, you need to forgive yourself." he takes her hand in his, rubbing it soothingly. "Like you said...stuff happens. You can't weigh yourself down with guilt over something you can't change."

"I hurt him." she voices, her words coming out strangled as she fights to keep the tears at bay. "He didn't deserve that."

"Maybe not." he agrees. "But he also should have understood that you were torn...he knew you loved Lucky, but he still pushed."

"Its not his fault..." she tried to defend.

"Its not yours either." he smiles, knowing that he just caught her in his reasoning. "Stuff happened...stuff you can't change...and now its on you to pick up the pieces and move on."

"How do I do that exactly?" she looks at him intently, needing to know where to go from here.

"By finally getting rid of anything that doesn't make you happy." he says simply, placing a kiss upon her hand. "I know its scary, but its something you have to do."

"I'm scared." she admits, afraid of making that step, knowing what he meant.

"Its okay to be scared." he assures her, smiling his reassuring smile. "We'll be here the whole time. We won't let you do this on your own."

"We?" she looks at him curiously, not overlooking the plurality of his vocabulary.

"Knock, knock." a voice speaks from the doorway. "Hey."

"Johnny." she should have guessed. Smiling at him, Elizabeth gestures for him to come in.

"Me and this lunkhead will be with you the whole way." Francis promises, using a tone that held complete conviction. "We help as much as we can, but its gonna be mostly on you."

"We're kind of your moral support." Johnny voices, taking her other hand in his. "So you don't get discourage and whatnot."

Looking between the two men that have stepped up to be her guardian angels, Elizabeth couldn't fathom what she could have done to deserve such loyalty from both men. Francis, he has been a very understanding friend, always ready to listen when she needed an ear. Johnny, well he was just always handy with a good laugh.

"Okay." she shakes her head, more than nervous, but accepting what had to be changed. "Hopefully I won't crash and burn."

"You won't." Francis assures her.

"Besides, even if you happen to fall..." Johnny waits for her eyes to connect with his. "We'll be there to catch you."

And in that moment, in spite of the many ways this frightens her, Elizabeth finally believed that she could do it. That she could cut her losses with things that made her unhappy and finally focus on making herself happy. After all, what good is making anyone else happy when you, yourself, are miserable?

**A/N: Story number two. There won't be any major craziness in this or the other slow paced story...hopefully...which is good because I'll be updating it often. Hope you like it. Take care.**

**- ROCkER**


	2. Chapter 2

After a long while, Francis and Johnny both left her to her own accord, promising that one of them would be back when she gets discharged. She wanted to tell them that she'd be fine, surely one of her friends - or even her grandmother - would be there to take her home. The words didn't form to contradict them, though, simply accepting what they told her because - after all - its what she wanted.

Pulling herself out of bed, still aching from the jabs that Carly managed to get in, Elizabeth walks over to the bathroom. She wanted to look in the mirror, more like she needed to look in the mirror. Doubtful that she could explain it, but she just couldn't recognize herself.

Sure, the face looks the same, but the eyes...she just couldn't see herself in the reflection staring back at her. How, she wonders to herself, did she possibly let her life get this out of control. The bruises starting to darken slightly on her face, Elizabeth sighs with frustration.

Francis and Johnny are right. No matter how scared she may be, Elizabeth needs to find herself again and - for the first time in her life - embrace her completely. Taking a deep breath, she uses the hairband on her wrist to pick her hair up into a ponytail.

"I am Elizabeth Webber." she says aloud to herself. "And today is the day I reclaim my life."

The bruises will fade, the scratches will heal, and the other injuries she has sustained will no longer ache, that much she's sure of. What lies beneath the surface, deep down into her soul, Elizabeth wasn't sure if that would recover. If it would heal. But she was content in trying because - after all - its better to try and fail than not to try and succeed.

"Elizabeth, honey, you shouldn't be out of bed just yet." her grandmother's tender voice says in surprise, ushering her out of the bathroom. "You need your rest after the ordeal you've been through."

"I fought with someone, Gram." she replies plainly, allowing her grandmother to help her into bed. "I'd hardly call that an ordeal."

Elizabeth tried to pay attention to her Gram as she spoke, but her mind just couldn't focus on her. Like every other time while someone's talking to her, lately, her mind as wandering off to something else. Not really focusing on anything, but simple just not present in the conversation. That was, of course, until her grandmother said something Elizabeth wouldn't be caught doing.

"No." Elizabeth sits upright, thinking that now was as good a time as any.

"Excuse me?" Audrey looks at her confusedly.

"No." she says with more conviction. "I am not apologizing to Carly. I don't owe her an apology and I don't plan on giving her one either."

"Apologizing is the lady thing to do, Elizabeth." Audrey says, schooling her features. "Whether you started it or not, you should be the better woman and apologize."

"Maybe I don't want to be the better woman." she counters, refusing to apologize to that blonde wench. "Maybe I don't even want to be a lady."

"Elizabeth..." her gram tried to protest, but Elizabeth cut her off swiftly.

"I'm tired, Gram." Elizabeth settles into the bed, preparing to go to sleep, or fake it if she had to. "Can we talk about this later?"

"Of course." her grandmother relents, settling into the chair. "You rest and I'll just keep you company for a while."

Turning away from her grandmother, Elizabeth stares at the wall, keeping her breathing leveled so her grandmother wouldn't question her about lying. Though she knows her grandmother's heart is in the right place, Elizabeth would never agree to apologizing to Carly. No way in hell.

So, instead of arguing it out with her grandmother, Elizabeth starts to think of ways that she could change her life. One aspect of her life jumps to the front of her mind, the Face of Deception job, that definitely had to go. If she was going to be happy, getting rid of her modeling gig was definitely a step in the right direction.

Making a mental note to speak to Laura about it, Elizabeth moves on to other aspects of her life that she'd like to change. Aspects of her life that she'd like to do more often, namely her art, and aspects she'd like to rid her life of, namely always saying yes. From now on, if she doesn't want or like something, she's gonna say no. Flat out. To the point. No.

The more she thought of how she'll be changing her life, the more calmer she became and soon enough, she didn't have to pretend to be asleep because she was. The thought of changing her life back to how she wanted it to be, back to a way that she knew she'd be happy, Elizabeth fell into a deep peaceful slumber for the first time since Jason left.

"So, we were thinking, when you get out of here, maybe we can go up to the lake..." Emily files in behind the two brothers hours later. "...you know, celebrate the fact that someone kicked that scrawny witch's ass."

"That's my cousin you're talking about." Lucky chimes in, moving to sit by Elizabeth. "And...you're right."

"Nice family loyalty, bro." Nikolas teases, moving to stand by Emily. "How're you feeling, Liz?"

"Sore." she says simply, glancing between the three friends, wondering if they'll be part of her new life once they realize the changes she'll be making. "And I can't go to the lake."

"What?" Emily looked at her shocked, stopping her explanation of what they'd be doing. "Why not? The doctor says you can, I already asked him."

"I just can't, okay?" Elizabeth looks at her plainly. "I have a lot to do."

"Like what?" Lucky steps in, truly curious about her plans. "What could be more important than hanging out with us?"

Alot, she thought to herself, but didn't voice. She simply donned Jason's blank expression and remained silent.

"Ms. Webber." the doctor walks in before anyone can speak further. "How're you feeling?"

"Sore." she replies, her simply one word answer that pretty much summed it up.

"That's to be expected." the doctor smiles slightly, walking over to the side of the bed that didn't have any visitors. "I've written up a couple prescriptions. A lite antibiotics to ward off infection and some pain medication for the headaches. If anything should happen, I want you to come back in right away to see me. Assure me of that and you're free to go."

"Okay. I'll come back in if anything changes." she says without hesitation. "I'm supposed to sign something, right?"

"Yes." he hands her the clipboard. "Take it easy, Ms. Webber. I'm sure you don't want to be back here any time soon."

"You have no idea." she smiles slightly before handing him the clipboard and taking the prescriptions. "Thanks, doc."

Like she could have predicted, right when the doctor walked out of the room, the three of them started in on her. They all wanted to know what she had to do that was so important and couldn't wait until after they hung out. Feeling like her head was about to explode, Elizabeth immediately turns into Lizzie.

"You know what?" she practically shouts, to get them to shut up. "There is no waiting until after we hangout because we're always hanging out. There's no beginning or end to it, so yes! I need to do it now. So, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be. I'll see you all when I'm good and ready."

Snatching her jacket, the jacket he had given her, Elizabeth walks out of the room with them on her heels. Lucky was trying to tell her that they were her ride, that they told Audrey they'd handle taking her from the hospital after she was released, while Emily wanted to know what they did wrong. Nikolas, well, he just wanted her to listen to the other two.

"I have a ride." she snaps, when right on cue, the elevator doors open and there stood her guys. "I'll call you later."

All three friends stop dead in their tracks when Francis and Johnny step in front of Elizabeth after she gets on the elevator. Their body language said it all, don't even think about coming closer because we're not liable for what we do. The moment the doors closed, Elizabeth had to admit that it felt liberating to finally do that. To finally stand her ground and do what she wanted. It felt perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Italy. It had been her dream, not his, yet there he was. Jason wasn't sure if he was trying to prove a point that he could go there and not think of her or to hold it against her later, but there he was none the less. Walking through the streets, simply taking in the country, he forces himself not to hear her voice in his head.

The lights in Italy is unlike anywhere in the world, do you think that's true? It is true, he says to himself, glancing around the street. The light was definitely different here than anywhere else in the world. Compared to the places he's been, at least.

Shut up, he demands of his brain, he's not supposed to think of her. He's not supposed to hear her voice or think of how her eyes would light up with the thought of Italy...dammit. Who was he kidding? The only reason he showed up in this country was because of her. To spite her or to be close to her...either way its because of her.

Why else would he be in Italy of all places? He has been wanting to go to Egypt to see the pyramids or even make it to Africa to go on a safari, but not Italy. This wasn't the place he has thought about and he knows it. The only logical reason is her. She has filled his mind and opened his eyes to things he had never seen before.

Stopping outside a shop, a shelf of postcards catch his eye, and Jason found himself gravitating towards it. There was one in particular that stood out from the rest and - before he knew it - he was buying it. Why? Because it reminded him of her. Yeah. He was just that pathetic.

Stuffing the card into his pocket, Jason continues his venture through the streets, this wasn't his first time in Italy. It was, however, his first time in this part of the country. He wanted to avoid the glass blowers, knowing that he'd undoubtedly force himself to buy something else. A vase, like she had suggested, or something else and he just didn't want to do it.

What in the world was he thinking? Looking down in his hand, he finds a brochure and ticket to an art gallery. Yeah. He's pathetic. Glancing around, Jason continues his venture to the gallery, knowing that nothing was going to stop him from going to the showing.

Francis and Johnny's words, from before he left, echo through his mind. He shouldn't have pushed her. She was fragile as is and he should have been a friend rather than complicate things. It wasn't like he did it on purpose. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to hear her ramble and hum while she paints. He just wanted to be wherever she was. It wasn't his fault.

Standing outside the gallery, Jason glances down at the entrance ticket again before looking at the doorway that would put him in a swarm of art. Who was he kidding? Everything he has done since leaving Port Charles has been about her. Hell, he left because of her.

Walking up the steps to the gallery, he hands off his ticket to the collector before walking into the building. Immediately he is surrounded by paintings and sculptures, various forms of art, and without thinking he mutters to himself that Elizabeth would have loved this.

"That bitch is gonna pay for this." Carly mutters, groaning at the discoloration on her face. She had to hand it to the little twit, she sure could pack a damn good punch. "I might need a freaking plastic surgeon for this."

Replaying the fight in her mind, Carly wasn't expecting the little muffin face to react the way she did. Hell, there wasn't even a sign that she was going to fly off the handle. She was getting her face, much like she always is, and - out of nowhere - Elizabeth lunged at her, swinging like her life depended on it.

_"You better be happy now, you stupid bitch!" Carly exclaimed, getting in Elizabeth's face. "He's gone and its all your fault! I told him you couldn't handle him...hell, I told you that you couldn't handle him, but did anyone listen? NO!"_

_"I don't want any trouble, Carly." Elizabeth's voice was plain, not wanting to get into it with Carly._

_"Carly, back off." Lucky steps forward. "Jason being gone is the best thing to happen. Get off her case."_

_"Shut up!" Carly snaps at him. "This is between me and the little muffin face! Its because of this little brat that Jason can't be with his family! You proud of yourself, huh? You drove one the most amazing men in existence to flee his own home!"_

_"I'm not doing this with you." Elizabeth replies, moving to walk away from her, but Carly wasn't having it and she yanked her back into place._

_"No, hell no!" Carly snaps. "You don't leave until I tell you to!"_

_"Let her go!" Nikolas and Lucky say at the same time, but Elizabeth had other ideas._

_Cocking back her arm, Elizabeth punched Carly across the face before jumping her. The guys were in shock as the two of them went at it. Elizabeth was shouting at Carly, Carly's shouting at Elizabeth, meanwhile the rest in attendance were stunned._

_"For once in your life, Carly, shut up!" Elizabeth slammed Carly's head against the ground. "SHUT UP!"_

_"It's all your fault!" Carly shouted, flipping Elizabeth over, pulling tight on her hair. "Jason's gone and its all your fault!"_

_"Yeah...at least I didn't screw his best friend!" Elizabeth shouts back. "You stupid bitch! Who the hell are you to judge me?!"_

_"I HATE YOU!" Carly shouted, slamming her fist against Elizabeth's face._

_"Oh, like I'm in love with your stupid ass!" Elizabeth flips her back over, slamming her head against Carly's. "I hate you, too, bitch!"_

Shaking her head, Carly smirks slightly, never would have thought she had it in her. Glancing down the length of her body, Carly notes each and every discoloration that was starting to grow darker. Her legs are aching from Elizabeth kicking her when Carly got the upper hand.

Her arms are scratched up, Elizabeth having clawed at her to get her to flip. The little brat was like a freaking energizer bunny, never running out of energy throughout their fight. If not for the others pulling them apart, Carly doubts she would have lasted the entire way.

Something was driving that little girl and Carly doubts that she's run out of incentive just yet. Whatever it was, Carly knows now to come prepared when picking a fight with the brat. Gently touching her nose, Carly's glad that it didn't break. Sure, her face looks so damn colorful right now, but at least she wouldn't need to fix her nose.

That gash on her forehead will need plastic surgery. No way in hell will she let that brat ruin her face forever.

"Hey." her husband's voice calls to her from the doorway. "Is it okay if Michael comes to see you?"

"Sure." Carly shrugs, setting down the mirror. "I'm always up to see mister man."

She had wanted to keep this from her son, but he couldn't go long without her and she'll just have to convince him that she painted her face. Wrapping her arms around her son, the moment that her little guy crawled up to her, Carly took a deep breath and was instantly calm. Michael did that for her.

"Something's definitely off with her." Emily deduced, sitting down at a table in Kelly's with the two brothers. "I don't get why she blew us off like that."

"Your brother is definitely out of town, right?" Lucky was angry with the fact that the two guards had picked her up.

"Yes, he's definitely out of town." Emily states seriously. "Why else would Carly go crazy on Elizabeth?"

"Then what's with the guards?" Nikolas voices Lucky's burning question.

"I don't know." Emily admits. "She always considered them friends...maybe she asked them to pick her up."

"I don't like this." Lucky states, taking a gulp of soda. "I don't like this at all."

"So...what are we going to do about it?" Emily looks between the two brothers. "We have to do something...she's our friend."

"My girlfriend." Lucky inserts, emphasizing it.

"Right...so...what do we do?" Emily questions again.

The three friends sit in contemplation, wondering what they could do for Elizabeth, to show that they are there for her and she didn't need the two guards. Lucky's mind was still focused on the fact of whether or not Jason is really out of town or if he was pulling the wool over everyone like he did before.


	4. Chapter 4

Glancing between the two men sitting in the front of the car, Elizabeth couldn't help the soft smile that touched her lips. She could have sworn that Francis said only one of them would be back when she was discharged yet there they both are.

When they stepped forward, creating a barrier between her and her friends, Elizabeth felt truly protected. Like they wouldn't let anyone intimidate her into folding under their will and that gave her the strength to stay on the elevator and leave the hospital with them.

"Wanna make any stops?" Johnny glances back at her with a slight smile.

"Um, yeah." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Laura's office and then the supermarket."

"You got it." Francis assures, taking the left turn that would put them on the road to Laura's office building.

They drive in silence the rest of the way. She wasn't sure if they knew that's what she wanted or if they just didn't have anything to say, either way, she appreciated it. Elizabeth was certain that Laura would be at work now, having pretty much memorized her schedule.

A part of her felt bad for doing this, for pulling out of the job now, but she couldn't do it anymore. Not just because her face is all bruised and scratched up, but because it just didn't make her happy. Admittedly, she never should have accepted the offer in the first place. Though she may not think of her rape often, Elizabeth would never be truly comfortable in front of the camera.

"You got this." Johnny assures her, smiling slightly as they stand outside the building.

"We'll be out here when you're done." Francis taking out a necklace from his pocket. "I got this for you."

"What is it?" Elizabeth takes the necklace into her hands to look at the medallion. "Saint George?"

"Patron saint of courage." he explains, taking it back into his hands. "I figured it couldn't hurt...may I?"

"Please." she says without hesitation, turning around so he could secure the necklace around her neck. "Thank you, Francis."

"Now go make us proud." Francis smiles slightly, kissing her forehead. "You can do it, Liz."

"I can do this." she repeats before taking a deep breath and walking over to the door.

It took her a moment, one glance back at them, before she was able to walk through the door and make her way up to Laura's office. She'd be lying if she said her hands weren't shaking and she wasn't nervous because her hands are shaking uncontrollably and she has never been so damn nervous in all her life.

But still, even with shaky hands and being nervous to the point she felt like she was going to puke, Elizabeth made the venture to Laura's office and stood in front of her assistant. Elton was a little surprised to see her there, but told Laura of her presence none the less.

"Elizabeth, honey, what are you doing here?" Laura rises from her desk when Elizabeth walks into her office. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but shouldn't you be resting?"

"I've rested plenty at the hospital." she assures Laura, smiling slightly. "I need to talk to you and it couldn't wait."

"Oh, well, have a seat." Laura gestures to one of the chairs, sitting down across from her once she does. "What's this about? Are you and Lucky having problems?"

"This isn't about me and Lucky." Elizabeth left out the fact that they just may be having problems soon enough. "This is about me...I've decided to make a few changes in my life...starting with my job."

"Oh." was all Laura could manage, making her wonder if the older woman knew what was about to come next.

"First of all, I want to thank you for the opportunity...I mean, I know its an amazing chance for someone that wants to be a model..." Elizabeth takes a deep breath. "Only...I don't want to be a model. I never have and I'm really no good at it."

"You're so good at it." Laura defends. "Your test shots were so beautiful and a lot of shoots came out perfect."

"I'm not comfortable in front of the camera." Elizabeth explains. "Ever since...ever since I was raped...I'm just not comfortable. I went along with it because Lucky was so happy and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Oh, sweetie, you wouldn't have disappointed me." Laura takes her hands in hers. "I had been confused when you went with it, but I just figured its what you wanted."

"Its really not." Elizabeth sighs with relief that Laura seemed to understand. "I'm sorry if this is inconvenient for you...since you have to hire another model and..."

"Don't worry about that." Laura says softly. "Gia's already lining up for the chance...I just want to be sure you're one hundred percent sure about giving this up."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Okay then." Laura smiles slightly. "I'm gonna be sad to see you go, but I'm glad you're doing what you need to do."

"Thank you for understanding." Elizabeth wraps her arms around Laura, having been afraid that she would have been difficult.

"If anyone can understand what you're going through, its me." Laura rubs her back soothingly. "I just want you to be happy."

"Thank you." she says once more before pulling away.

"With that out of the way..." Laura laughs softly. "How're you doing? Are you hurting or anything?"

"They've given me pain medication so I hardly feel any of it." Elizabeth assures. "To be honest, Carly's worse off than I am."

"Oh, I know." Laura shakes her head. "I stopped by to see her and she has definitely seen better days."

"Yeah...well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing." Elizabeth rises to her feet. "Again, I'm sorry for quitting like this."

"Don't worry about it." Laura says without hesitation, a part of her wondering if Elizabeth's relationship with Lucky will survive the sudden need for change. "I'll handle everything...you focus on what you have to do."

With one last hug, Elizabeth leaves the office, hoping that her friendship with Laura can survive the changes she's making in her life. For one, since her rape, Elizabeth has looked Laura for guidance and advice.

Secondly, because she has come to cherish her connection to the woman. But most of all, because she has been more of a mom to her than her own mother and Elizabeth didn't want to lose that. Hopefully she won't have to, but she'll learn to accept it if Laura can't handle being part of her life anymore.

Next stop, the supermarket, for some trash bags and buckets of paint. Deciding that her studio could use a make over and an uplift. Since its going to be her home, Elizabeth needs to make it look like one. She'll tell Lucky about her moving out of Kelly's later. For now, the studio it is.

"You want any help with whatever you're planning to do?" Johnny questions, setting the stuff down next to the door.

"Nah, I got it." Elizabeth assures, shrugging out of her jacket. "Its mostly on me, remember?"

"Doesn't mean we can't give you a hand on painting." Francis points out, setting down the brushes.

"I appreciate the offer, but this is something I need to do by myself." Elizabeth hugs the both. "Thank you for everything you did for me today."

"Its what we do." Johnny shrugs, smiling slightly. "If you need either of us, for anything, we're just a phone call away."

"Speaking of phone calls..." Francis nudged Johnny, arching his eyebrow.

"Oh...right." Johnny pulled out a cellphone from his jacket. "We got this for you...a gift to you starting over."

"You guys didn't have to do this." Elizabeth fights off the tears that form in her eyes as she takes the phone into her hands.

"Its one of Stan's creations." Francis explains. "When you call out, it shows up as a private number...that way the only people that can call are the ones that have your number."

"Our numbers are programmed into the phone...he's speed dial two...I'm three." Johnny shows her what they did.

"Brains and Bronze...cute." Elizabeth laughs softly. "Thanks, you guys."

Watching as they walked down the hall and turned the corner, Elizabeth shuts the door before turning to look at her studio. She wanted to take a moment to see the studio as it was before she starts transforming it into what she wants it to be.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth sets the phone down on the desk before looking around the studio. With a slight smile, she walks over and props the painting of the Wind up on an easel, sort of her motivation, before she got started. Today is the day for a new beginning. A new life. A new Elizabeth.


	5. Chapter 5

Dropping her paint brush into the sink, Elizabeth takes a look around her studio, it was finally finished. It took all of last night and most of this morning, but its finally finished and Elizabeth couldn't be more happy about it if she tried.

She's painted the walls mostly warm colors, wanting the studio to have the feel of a home rather than a studio. She has thrown away her dried out paints, paintings that didn't feel right, and various articles of clothing that just didn't fit the girl she was trying to become.

Some time, in between painting, Elizabeth managed to call Bobbie to set up a meeting to talk about possibly getting her job back. After assuring Bobbie that everything was okay and she just needed to return to her roots, Bobbie agreed to hear Elizabeth out on her conditions before letting her return to work at the diner.

A part of her wonders if Jason will like the changes she has made to the studio. Even though he's gone, she still feels like its partly his place, a thought that shocked slightly because she never considered the studio Lucky's, but she does consider it Jason's.

Maybe, she deduces, its because Jason had actually stayed there. He seemed to love it there whereas Lucky always wanted to get out of her studio. With a soft sigh, Elizabeth shakes her head of thoughts of both men and focuses on what she has control over. Before she can even consider her love life, she needs to get her actual life under control.

A thumping sound causes her to walk over to her door, wondering who it would be on the other side, bracing herself for every possibility. Fortunately for her, it turned out to be her two favorite guards, holding up an interesting greeting.

"Come on in." Elizabeth walks over to the couch to yank off the tarp she had covered it with. "Have a seat. I just need to plug in the air freshener."

"The walls are dry." Johnny comments, dragging his finger down the wall. "How'd you do that?"

"Hairdryer." Elizabeth gestures to the devices on the desk. "I thought it would ruin the paint, but it actually worked out pretty well."

"Its beautiful." Johnny drops the bags onto the desk. "Can I make a suggestion about your changes?"

"Sure." she smiles slightly, unpacking the bags before taking the drinks out of the carrier.

"Since you're planning on living here...you are planning on living here, right?" Johnny arches his eyebrow.

"Yes." she laughs softly. "I'm planning on living here."

"Right." Johnny shakes his head. "Since you're planning on living here, don't you think you could use...oh, I don't know...a bed?"

"Very subtle." Francis states, slapping the back of Johnny's head. "Make yourself useful and grab some chairs from the storage closet."

"I'm going to buy a bed later on today." Elizabeth assures, picking up her container before plopping down on the couch. "I have to meet with Bobbie about my old job and then I'll head to Wyndham's to get a bed."

Settling in for breakfast, the three friends talk about further plans for the day. Francis and Johnny have the day off, deciding that they'll keep her company for the rest of the day if she wanted, as if it was even a question.

By the time Lucky walked downstairs from his apartment, he was completely seething with thoughts of Elizabeth. The look on her face when she walked away from them at the hospital, the way she let those guards protect her from them, and the way she failed to come home last night...suffice to say that Lucky was filled with pent up frustration.

"Hey, Lucky!" Emily greets him, taking a sip of her morning coffee. "Everything okay? Where's Elizabeth?"

"She didn't come home last night." he says through gritted teeth, tapping the counter for his usual morning coffee. "Where's Nikolas? He was supposed to be here already."

"He called and said he'd be a little late." Emily informs carefully. "Gia's being a little needy..."

"Whatever." Lucky mutters, plopping down at her table once he had his cup of coffee. "I guess its on us to talk some sense into Elizabeth."

"I guess..." Emily looks at him a little nervously. "Only..."

"What is it?" Lucky questions sharply.

"Well...Zander has something planned for us and I need to be ready by lunch." Emily explains carefully. "I'll help you with Liz, I swear...but it has to be sooner rather than later."

Lucky sat there with his lips in a tight line, not wanting to blow up at Emily, even if he felt that she and Nikolas were being selfish. Here he is, trying his damnedest to save his relationship with Elizabeth, and they both couldn't be bothered to take time away from their respective others to help him out.

"You got this." Francis tells Elizabeth as they stand outside of Kelly's, a clear line of sight to Emily and Lucky.

"I know." Elizabeth smiles slightly. "I won't be long."

"Take all the time you need." Johnny holds up the key she gave them. "It'll give us enough time to pack up your stuff."

"You sure you guys don't mind?" Elizabeth looks at them questioningly. "I mean, you've done so much for me already."

"Just because we want you to take control of your life, it doesn't mean we can't help out once in a while." Francis assures her, opening the door for her. "We'll take the back entrance."

"Okay." she takes a deep breath before walking into the diner, more than a little nervous after she hears the door shut behind her.

Nikolas stares at Gia with a pleading look, he should have been at the diner by now, lord only knows what Lucky is going through in that moment. As much as he tries to explain it to his girlfriend, Gia just didn't seem to understand.

"Its my last day off, Nik." Gia says seriously. "Tomorrow I get back into the thick of it at the Face of Deception and I want to spend my last day with you. Just us."

"And we will." he says with certainty. "I just an hour at most to be there for Lucky."

"Its never only an hour and you know it." Gia says sternly. "I don't get why he's trying so hard. I mean, the guy doesn't even love her and I doubt she even loves him either."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no?" Gia arches her eyebrow defiantly. "I overheard you talking to your brother when I got out of the shower two nights ago. I clearly remember him saying that he didn't love little miss perfect Elizabeth Webber and you hated the mere suggestion that he could fake it long enough to make it real."

"Its none of my business what my brother does with his love life." Nikolas states firmly. "If he believes he can fall back in love with Elizabeth, who am I to stand in his way?"

"Oh, I don't know...a real friend to the girl you claim you love like a sister." Gia throws her hands in the air. "I may not be Elizabeth's best friend, but I wouldn't wish what you two are doing on my worst enemy. Not only is it cruel, but its wrong on so many levels."

"Its not our place to say anything."

"No...maybe not, but what if the roles were reversed?" Gia counters, trying to get him to see reason. "What if it were Elizabeth that didn't love Lucky and she was the one yanking him around, huh? What if everyone was playing god over his life and lying out of their asses because they felt it was for the greater good?"

"I'd accept it."

"Liar!" Gia snaps. "You'd hate it and you would do whatever it took to convince Elizabeth to be honest with Lucky. You'd want your brother to have the chance to decide if he still wanted a relationship with Elizabeth or not and you know it."

"What do you want me to do, Gia, huh?" Nikolas closes the distance between them. "He's my brother...I can't betray his trust by telling Elizabeth."

"Doesn't mean you have to help him lie to her either." Gia counters. "Just stay out of it, Nik...please. A relationship is between two people...just two...don't place yourself in the middle of theirs."

"Fine." Nikolas sighs, running one hand down his face. "I'll stay out of it, for now."

"Nik..."

"Its the best I can give you, Gia." Nikolas says softly. "Now...about this last day off...what did you have in mind?"

Elizabeth could see their mouths moving, but nothing they were saying has registered to her. It seemed like they were having the same conversation they've been having for so long that Elizabeth just couldn't focus. Seeing their lips have stopped moving, Elizabeth shook her head to clear her mind.

"I wanted to talk to you alone, Lucky, but fine...lets have this out right now." Elizabeth could see Bobbie waiting for her by the kitchen door. "I'm sorry you're upset that I left the hospital with Francis and Johnny, but I'm not sorry I did. I have remained silent for too long, letting you and everyone else dictate what I did, when I did it, and who I did it with. I'm not living like that anymore."

Lucky was about to say something when she held up her hand to stop him.

"No. You've had your say." Elizabeth says seriously. "You wanted me to explain, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Yes, I cherish our relationship, but being my boyfriend doesn't give you the right to control me."

"Where is this coming from?" Lucky snaps. "We make our decisions together! I have never tried to control you!"

"No?" Elizabeth arches her eyebrow. "Demanding that I stopped hanging out with Jason...telling me we couldn't be friends anymore...what was that?"

"So this IS about Jason!" Lucky's eyes burned with anger.

"No. This is about me." Elizabeth says firmly. "I'm making changes in my life and I will keep making changes until I feel like my life is mine again."

"What does that mean?" Emily dared to ask.

"First of all, I quit my job at the Face of Deception." Elizabeth wasn't surprised by the shock on both their faces. "And I've moved out of my apartment upstairs. I'll be living in my studio from now on."

"Without talking to me about it?" Lucky looked at her in utter shock. "Elizabeth, we love each other! We're supposed to make big decisions together!"

"Oh really?" Elizabeth challenges him. "What about your decision to give up music and take up photography? Or the decision you made to take pictures of Gia, in spite of how I felt? What about those decisions, Lucky? Did you consult me on them? The answer's no, in case you've forgotten."

"So, what?" Lucky counters, meeting her eye to eye. "Since you're making such big changes, tell me, Elizabeth...am I one of them? Huh? Are you breaking up with me now that you've decided that I'm too controlling?"

"Elizabeth!" Bobbie calls to her, not liking where the conversation was heading. "I can meet with you now."

"Not now, Bobbie!" Lucky snaps.

"Yes, now!" Bobbie says sternly. "Come on back, sweetie. We can talk in my office."

Eyeing Lucky for a moment longer, seeing something in his eyes that had her questioning things, Elizabeth breaks their gaze to follow Bobbie. Her relationship with Lucky could wait till later, after he's managed to cool off and she has managed to remember that she did love him. One thing she knows for sure is that she wasn't going to stop now. No way in hell.

It was like putting a small snowball on top of a mountain covered in snow, once it has built up momentum, there's no stopping it. Which is exactly what Elizabeth felt in that moment. She has built up too much momentum to stop now.

Whether her relationship with Lucky survives by the time she reaches the bottom of her mountain, Elizabeth will accept it either way. Though, by the looks of it, they didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell at surviving.

**A/N: One more update for this coming right up...give me a few minutes, kay?**

**Can't wait to hear what you think of both.**

**-ROCkER**


	6. Chapter 6

Its been a month since her last stint in the hospital. Since then she has made her studio look more and more like a home. She has situated the bed by the closet, buying a dresser for her clothes while emptying out the storage closet for clothes that belong on hangers.

She has put up dividers to separate her bedroom from the rest of the studio. Setting up a kitchen near the window that she had sat at when she was thinking of Jason. It seemed fitting to have the stove by the window, that way the cooking didn't overpower the smell in the studio.

The couch is still in the same place it has always been, not wanting to move it a single inch. Too many memories could be relived from that couch, the strength she had embraced when she took claim of her life during that fateful winter. Something she was doing once again, only now she didn't have Jason to lean on.

Francis and Johnny did what they could, but let her handle whatever she needed to handle. They never stepped in when she starts getting into it with Emily, Nikolas, and Lucky. They don't even step in when Carly takes it upon herself to get into Elizabeth's face.

Of course, that didn't stop Carly's guards from being close by to stop Elizabeth if things were heading into a physical level. Slowly but surely, her relationship with Lucky was crumbling into nothing and sooner than later she will have to put the final nail on its coffin.

She has made so many changes in her life since she was discharged from the hospital that, even though she knows its inevitable, Elizabeth just couldn't bring herself to end her relationship with Lucky. Maybe it was her way of keeping hold of the girl she used to be or maybe Jason was right and she just didn't know who she was without Lucky.

All she knows is that it'll be hard to end things, knowing that Lucky loved her and wanted to fix things between them. Even if he doesn't exactly show it all the time, she knows that he wants them to make it work. If only that were possible.

"The place has really come together." Francis says from the doorway. "It looks great, Liz."

"Thanks." Elizabeth smiles slightly, walking over to him. "Johnny couldn't make it?"

"Sonny has him handling stuff." Francis gives as an explanation, closing the door behind him. "I figured it could give us a chance to talk."

"Why do I have a feeling that I know what the topic of conversation is gonna be?" Elizabeth counters, walking with him to the couch before she hands him his food container.

"Because you've been dodging the topic all week." Francis says simply, handing her a fork. "You can't keep this thing going, Liz...you know that. Why can't you do it already?"

"I don't know." Elizabeth concedes, mixing her food up. "Loving Lucky is all I know...how do I just let it go?"

"You're not in love with him anymore." Francis points out. "You told me that the last time we talked about this."

"I know...but he still loves me."

"Do you really think its fair to either of you to stay with Lucky when your hearts not in it?"

Francis allows the conversation to end there, knowing he didn't need to say much more than that to get her to really think it through. No matter how much she thinks Lucky still loves her, its unfair to both of them to keep the relationship going and she knows it.

Making his way into a local library, the only place he has been that has decent internet, Jason logs onto the email account that he rarely ever uses. Having ditched his cellphone back home, Jason has been waiting for the chance to check his email. Surely there would be messages to update him on things back home.

Of course, what he wasn't expecting to find among emails from Sonny, Carly, and Emily was an email from Francis and Johnny both. One from each guard, both labelled with nothing more than Elizabeth. He'd be lying if he were to say that the simply sight of her name didn't bring out emotions he has been trying to bury.

Its just an email, he reminds himself, what could it possibly hurt to open it up. Surely they figured he would want to know how she's doing, that had to be the reason for the emails. What other reason is there? Convinced that it would simply tell him she has been fine, Jason clicks on it first.

What popped up on the screen nearly had him falling off his seat in shock. A variety of emotions hit him at once, forcing himself to not shout out an onslaught of curse words at the computer screen, needing to read through his emails and not wanting to risk being kicked out of the library.

Seven hospital visits. Elizabeth wasn't the most graceful woman in the world, but seven hospital visits was more than enough to cause a high level of concern. Reading through the explanations that the guards give, Jason was itching to get on a plane and see her for himself. To know that she was okay.

The last hospital visit, the reason behind it, solidified his decision to head back to Port Charles. Carly. He hadn't expected her to understand or accept his decisions, but he sure as hell didn't expect the two of them to come to blows.

Logging out of his email account, not even looking through the emails from his sister or anyone else, Jason makes his way out of the library and down to his rental car. If he had bothered to read any of the emails, he would have learnt Carly's version of what happened. Sonny's updates on the business. And Emily's pleas for him to forget Elizabeth and find love with someone else.

Unfortunately for all of them, Jason didn't read any of their emails. Instead, he was ticking off things he was going to do once he gets back home. In spite of everything that drove him away from Port Charles and possibly having to swallow the fact that Elizabeth was still with Lucky, he's heading home. If nothing else, but to deal with Carly and make her see that what she did wasn't acceptable in Jason's mind.

"What's wrong?" Carly asks her husband, seeing a strange look on his face.

"Just business." he lies, running a weary hand down his face. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Carly asks seductively. "I'm sure I can help you relax..."

"Normally I'd love that, but I have to head down to the warehouse." Sonny replies stiffly. "Kiss Michael for me? I'll be back later tonight."

"Okay...sure." Carly managed to get out before the door closed behind Sonny. Every part of her confused by what had just happened.

Sonny didn't like lying to Carly, but Jason was more than clear about what he wanted from him that Sonny couldn't betray his trust again. Not after everything that happened between him and Carly...the way they betrayed Jason so profusely...Sonny had to give him this much.

Of course, Sonny tried to defend his wife, saying that Elizabeth had been the first to get physical, but none of it mattered to Jason. All his friend cared about was the fact that Carly had instigated it by getting in Elizabeth's face. As far as Jason was concerned, Elizabeth never would have fought with Carly if she wasn't pushed to her breaking point.

No amount of defending done by Sonny would change Jason's mind. So, instead of fighting it out with his friend, Sonny accepted what Jason wanted and made sure everything he needed awaited him at the airstrip.

"Liz, can I talk to you real quick." Gia stops her outside of Kelly's.

"What do you want, Gia?" Elizabeth looks at her plainly. "You have the Face of Deception job...isn't it enough? What else do you want?"

"Okay...I guess I deserve that." Gia shakes her head. "I know we're not exactly friends, but there's something I need to tell you."

"Fine." Elizabeth gestures to the table. "I'm all ears."

"You can't tell anyone I told you this...Nik would never forgive me." Gia says carefully. "I've just been watching you and Lucky go at it all month and I just can't keep quiet about it anymore."

"What are you getting at Gia?" Elizabeth stares at her intently. "If you have to hear it, fine, I won't tell anyone. Now will you spit it out?"

"Lucky told Nikolas, a month ago, that he's not in love with you anymore." Gia says quickly, hoping that Elizabeth won't argue the point with her. "I swear its the truth...Nik and I have argued about this more than once...I just felt like you deserved to know the truth. You can cuss me out or tell me I'm lying, but I'm not. I know you have no reason to trust me and..."

"Whoa! Gia, relax." Elizabeth says seriously. "I appreciate you telling me this...maybe you're right or maybe you're not...either way, thank you."

"So...what are you going to do about it?" Gia inquires, standing up as Elizabeth does.

"Well, I'm going to figure out if you're right...and if you are...I'll do what I should have done a long time ago." Elizabeth says simply, taking a deep breath before walking away.

Walking into the diner after making sure Francis was standing by, Elizabeth walked the distance to the table Lucky was sitting at. In spite of her distrust of Gia, something inside her was screaming for her to believe Gia and accept what is.

Like many times before, Elizabeth has a hard time focusing on what Lucky's saying, only this time she is focusing on his body language. She watches him, the way he looks at her, the way he talks, and - just like that - the truth hits her like a freight train. He doesn't love her.

Maybe it should have hurt on some level, that he has been fighting with her and saying he loved her when he really didn't, but the hurt didn't strike. In fact, the most overpowering feeling she felt was liberated. Because, even if she hated doing it, Elizabeth can finally make the final change she had been so afraid to make.

"I can't do this anymore." Elizabeth cuts him off, not having heard much of anything he said. "Lucky, did you hear me?"

"What?" Lucky looks at her confusedly.

"I said I can't do this anymore." she says with conviction. "I think its time we ended this...us."

"What are you talking about?" Lucky looks at her sternly. "How can you even consider breaking up?"

"I'm tired, Lucky." she says seriously. "We don't hangout anymore and when we do see each other, all we do is fight. I used to think its because you loved me and you wanted to fight for us, but now I know that's not true. You don't love me."

"Don't tell me how I feel!"

"Why? Its the truth." Elizabeth counters. "I dare you to deny it. I dare you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you are in love with me...that you love me just as much as the day we said our vows in the chapel."

He opens his mouth, but shuts it without uttering a word.

"You can't, can you?" Elizabeth shakes her head. "What was the point of this last month, Lucky? All the arguing and fighting...for what? To hold onto something that ended a long time ago?"

"I didn't want to give up on us." Lucky states firmly. "I still don't...apparently you don't feel the same way."

"Honestly? I don't." Elizabeth concedes. "Which is why I can't be angry with you for keeping up the charade because I've been doing the exact same thing."

"Don't do this." he says sternly. "Don't end us."

"It has already ended the moment we both fell out of love." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Even if you can't see it, I do and I'm done pretending. Its over, Lucky...and this time, its for good."

Lucky's angry words don't register as she walks out of the diner, her mind solely focused on the fact that she finally did it. She finally did the one thing that scared the life out of her, she broke up with Lucky. She, Elizabeth Imogene Webber, broke up with Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Junior. And instead of feeling hurt and heartbroken, Elizabeth felt relieved and liberated.

The final change has been made and now her life is her own again. Her friendships with Emily and Nikolas will have to wait for another day, whether they remained in her lives or not, its on them. Elizabeth's life was finally hers again and she could only keep going up from here.

"What's next?" Francis questions, walking with her back to her studio.

"Well...since you asked...I've been thinking about opening an art gallery." Elizabeth admits, walking down the stairs and onto the docks. "Its always been a dream of mine and I think now's as good a times as any...what do you think?"

"I think you can do anything you want to do." Francis says with a soft smile. "Actually, I know that you can do anything you want to do."

"You know what?" Elizabeth looks at him, smiling brightly. "I finally believe I can, too."


	7. Chapter 7

After another in depth talk with Bobbie, now that she and Lucky are over, Elizabeth was glad that the older woman accepted her conditions and hired her back at the diner. She knew it was hard for Bobbie to accept the end of her relationship with Lucky, but - in all honesty - Bobbie didn't want the relationship to happen from the jump.

What had Bobbie nervous about the end of the relationship, however, is that she knew Jason would eventually make his way back to Port Charles and inevitably be back in Elizabeth's life. When that happens, its only a matter of time before both of them give into the underlying attraction.

Elizabeth accepted Bobbie's concerns and countered them with another condition - that her personal life wasn't up for discussion - a condition that Bobbie accepted in the end. No matter what she feels for the Spencers, Elizabeth won't allow anyone to pass judgement on her life or convince her of anything anymore.

Her first day at the diner will happen first thing Monday morning, giving Elizabeth the weekend to go shopping for a building to house her gallery in. She had a few collections that she felt was ready to be debuted, but she needed to get a place up and running before she got her pieces ready to be presented.

Glancing around the studio, Elizabeth has stored all her painting supplies in the corner of the room, promising herself that once she got a space she'd reserve a room for her art studio. Now that her studio is being used as her home, she couldn't very well paint there anymore.

"Ready?" Francis says from the doorway, smiling slightly when she walks over and hugs him. "What's the hug for?"

"I'm just glad to see you." Elizabeth smiles as she pulls away. "And...yes, I'm ready. I've been looking through the newspaper and I've found a few that I'd like to see."

"Well..." Francis gives her a nervous look before handing her the magazine. "I sort of found one I know you'd love."

"Francis..." she drawls out his name.

"I know, I know." Francis laughs softly. "I was flipping through it for a place to live and I stumbled onto it, I swear."

"Fine." Elizabeth gestures for them to sit on the couch as she looks at the building he found. "It looks beautiful."

"It is...me and Johnny stopped by there the other day." Francis couldn't help but feel excited about this. "Its just in the price range you had set and its in a decent neighborhood."

"You kind of overlooked the fact that it has a set deadline for the purchase at that price." Elizabeth circles the deadline before handing it back to him. "I'll never have the money in time."

"How did I miss that?" Francis wonders curiously, seeing that she had little over a week to produce the money for the spot.

"With the money I have saved up from my little stint in modeling, I have about half the money." Elizabeth thinks it through. "There's no way for me to earn the rest before the deadline."

"Where there's a will, there's a way." Francis says simply. "You can do this, Liz."

"Okay...but how?" Elizabeth counters, staring down at the building for sale. "How do I get the money before its off the market?"

During his flight back home, Jason's mind sifted through the different changes he would soon be making in his life. Remembering all the conversations he has had with Francis over the years, Jason is finally convinced that he needed to set boundaries with Carly.

He always accepted Carly's whirlwind personality in his life because he knew that's just who she was. She accepted him for what and who he is, making him feel obligated to do the same with her. Maybe it was wrong to go back on that now, but she has gone too far for the last time.

Jason wasn't stupid, though, he knows she won't accept any boundaries he'd set. Didn't mean he couldn't lay it out there with a subtle threat or two. With his plan for Carly already set in stone, Jason had other things to consider.

One of his first stops when he gets home, a long overdue conversation with Zander Smith. It wasn't a big deal while Jason was out of town, but now that he'll have to actually see the two together and accept the relationship...suffice to say that a few good threats are in the kid's future.

Another one of his stops will be to his cousin, Ned. There was a conversation there that he has been putting off, but now will have no choice but to have. While he's deciding on his conversation with Ned, he realizes that two more Quartermaines warranted a conversation.

Before any of those conversations, he'll steal some alone time with his grandmother, having been worried about her since he left town. It was no secret that she was falling ill more and more lately. From what he has been told, she has only left the house to tend to the garden, leaving going about the town to the other members of her family.

With a basic outline on what he would be doing once he touches ground in Port Charles, Jason relaxes back into his seat to endure the long flight home. The only thoughts to keep him company for the rest of the flight consisted of his very first stop once his feet hit the ground. Elizabeth.

"It makes perfect sense, Liz." Francis insists, knowing that she needed a little more convincing.

"How does that make perfect sense?" she counters, eyeing him suspiciously. "You and Johnny, you've been a godsend, but this is too much."

"Just hear me out." Francis raises his hands, signalling for her to keep quiet. "I'll go in half with you and it'll give you the time to get the place up and running. Once you've got the place set and your first gallery showing over with, you can buy my share of the gallery and it'll be all yours."

"I don't know..." she looks at him curiously. Admittedly, it was a perfect set up, but she still didn't want to take advantage like that.

"I'm not outright giving you the money, Liz." Francis points out. "Not that I'd care if you did or didn't, but I'm giving you the option of paying me back."

"Fine." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Its a deal, but you are going to be my partner until I can buy you out, okay?"

"Okay." he replies without hesitation. "Now lets go buy you a building."

With a slight smile, Elizabeth allows Francis to help her into her jacket before calling the real estate agent about heading over to the building. After being told that they could have a look around before the agent gets there, Elizabeth and Francis head over there straightaway.

They took a good look around the building, Elizabeth having already started imagining how it would turn out and where she'd want everything. Francis was right, she seriously loved the building and she hoped to purchase it as soon as possible.

By the time the agent got there, Elizabeth was already sold on the place and said as much to the agent, who was more than happy to draw up the papers. The real estate had been going through a dry spell and this was the purchase that would put her back on rotation.

"Tomorrow, will be fine, for me." Elizabeth assures the agent. "Francis?"

"Yeah...I'll make it work." Francis assures. "We'll be there to sign the papers."

"Good...great!" the agent smiles brightly. "I'll have everything printed out and ready for you before then."

Parting ways with the agent, Francis and Elizabeth head out to meet up with Johnny after calling him with the good news. Tomorrow the place will be hers...well, theirs...and then she'll get to fix it up during whatever free time she has. Life was definitely looking up and she couldn't help but hope that it kept going in that direction.

After the last year she has lived through, Elizabeth feels like she deserves at least a good few months. Expecting a perfect life from here on out would be expecting too much, she knows that, so she only hopes for a few months of peace. Of course, with her luck, she was convinced she wouldn't get that much.

"Sarah." Elizabeth is more than shocked to find her sister standing in Kelly's, with Lucky no less. "I didn't know you were back in town."

"Just got in." Sarah smiles brightly, walking over to her. "I was hoping I'd run into you. Since you're not staying here or at Grams, I figured it be better that we ran into each other instead of me looking for you."

"Okay..." Elizabeth glances behind her, finding that her guys have positioned themselves by the door, a subtle signal that they're ready to leave if she wants that. Which proved to give her the strength to deal with the situation she has been put in.

"Look, I'm not sure if I'll be staying in town or not, but I'd really love to hangout some time." Sarah jots down her number on a card. "I know we haven't exactly been the best of sisters, which is why I came back, I want to change that."

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister Sarah?" Elizabeth counters, confused with the girl standing in front of her.

"I guess I deserve that." Sarah laughs softly, handing the card to her. "I really mean it, Lizzie. I want us to be better sisters than we have been."

Glancing over at Lucky, who obviously felt smug about something, Elizabeth looked back at her sister. Her gut screamed for her to just walk away, that nothing good could come from her trusting Sarah, but another part of her accepted the challenge. Sure, Sarah was never her favorite person, but what was the harm in trying, right?

"Famous last words." Elizabeth muttered the herself, laughing softly.

"What?" Sarah looked at her confusedly.

"Sure, Sarah." Elizabeth said with a slight smile. "Sounds great."

"Great!" Sarah smiled brightly, moving to hug Elizabeth - who returned the hug a little awkwardly. "Lucky and I are just heading out, but be sure to call me when you're free, okay?"

"Sure." Elizabeth replies, watching as Lucky and Sarah leave the diner together.

"You okay?" Johnny steps forward, wondering if she was okay with the pairing or not.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Elizabeth counters, arching her eyebrow. "I just hope she keeps him busy enough to stay out of my life."

"That's my girl." Johnny smirks, slinging one arm across her shoulders. "Now how about we eat some grub?"

"Sounds good to me." Elizabeth smiles slightly, allowing her guys to guide her to an empty table.

Sitting with her two guys, Elizabeth admits that it was something she definitely has gotten used to, eating with both of them. Spending so much time with Francis and Johnny has helped her miss Jason a little less, strengthening her connection with the two guys even more.

As their meals are set down in front of them, along with their beverages, Elizabeth makes a small wish that - wherever he was - Jason is happy and that he managed to make it to Italy. One of these days she will get to make it there, but - for now - she'll just enjoy her guys and the beautiful town she lives in.


	8. Chapter 8

Her eyes had to be deceiving her. That's the only explanation she could come to as she stared at the one person she didn't think she'd ever see again. Well, not any time soon, anyway. Yet there he was...standing by his bike, just staring at her. This wasn't real. She's convinced of that. It couldn't be.

Glancing around, she fails to see either of her guys, wondering where the hell they ran off to. As it hit her that this was real and he was really here, Elizabeth felt herself grow nervous and then worried. She had hoped to have some kind of warning, something, so she could prepare herself.

His eyes look her over and, in that moment, Elizabeth becomes overly aware of all the scars on her body. The bruises have gone away, something she's most definitely thankful for, but the scars are still there. Unlike Carly, she couldn't afford a freaking plastic surgeon.

The burn scars are visible on her hands, making Elizabeth slide her hands into her pockets. The scar on her forehead has faded slightly, but is still very much visible. Thankfully he couldn't see the scars on her legs, seeing as she's weary jeans.

"Jason." she says, finally making her way over to him. "When did you get back?"

"Just now." he replies, pushing away from his bike to stand in front of her. "Came straight from the airport."

"Oh...well, I'm glad you stopped by to see me." Elizabeth says carefully. "I'm sure you have to check in with Sonny..."

"Not tonight." he cuts her off, reaching out to take her hands from her pockets, running his fingers over her scars. "Seven hospital visits?"

"Who told you?" Elizabeth says in a hushed tone, afraid to speak any louder as his fingers trace over her scars.

"Does it matter?" Jason finally meets her eyes. "I know...and I want to know why."

"I'm clumsy." she shrugs her shoulders. "I mean, you should know...remember the splinter incident."

"You were distracted then." Jason reminds her. "Is that why you keep getting hurt? Because you're distracted?"

"Maybe." she admits, taking her hands from him, unable to think clearly with him touching her. "Did you make it to Italy?"

"Yeah." he admits, smiling slightly. "I stayed there for a couple weeks...traveled through the country for a while before heading to Australia."

"Where's the last place you went?"

"Georgia." Jason admits, still taking in every last scar visible to him.

"Eurasia." she guesses, smiling slightly. "What's it like?"

"I don't really know." Jason shakes his head. "Didn't stay for long."

"Oh."

"Wanna go for a ride?" Jason questions, holding out the helmet, hoping she doesn't say anything about needing to see Lucky or having a dinner date.

"I thought you'd never ask." she replies, taking hold of the helmet and strapping it on.

They both know that the conversation wasn't ending there, that he was offering the ride so that they could go somewhere private and actually have a decent conversation. Elizabeth waits long enough for him to straddle the bike before straddling it behind him. With her arms secured around him, they take off into night.

Jason allows himself to relish in the moment, the way it feels to have her arms around his waist, clinging to him as they take the winding road. Still, in the back of his mind, Lucky's presence echoes, taunting him with the fact that Elizabeth wasn't his. That she never will be.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, is focusing on him. The way it feels to be back on his bike again, to have her arms around him, and the ability to just lay her head against his back. She didn't care about the wind or the bike really, just the man in front of her and the way it felt to be with him again.

Arriving at the bridge over Black Stone Canyon, they let the silence settle over them for a while longer, simply listening to the water below the bridge. Jason's words echo in her mind, _you can hear it if you're quiet._ She knew he was teasing her, but she didn't mind.

"I think this is the longest you've gone without talking." Jason goes for light humor, receiving a soft chuckle for his efforts.

"With you...yeah. I've gone longer without talking for a while now." Elizabeth turns to look at him. "I guess I still can't believe this is real...after everything that happened...I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"After I found out about your...clumsiness, I needed to see you." Jason admits, gently reaching up to trace the scar on her forehead with his finger. "I had to be sure that you were okay."

"So you're not staying?" she counters, looking at him intently. "Now that you know I'm okay...are you leaving again?"

"That depends..." he replies, dropping his hand to his side. "Are you really okay?"

"For the most part...yeah." she admits, leaning her back against the bridge. "I've made a lot of changes since my last hospital visit...I like to think I'm not the same girl I was before."

"What was wrong with the girl you were before?" he counters, truly listening to her, trying to pick up the underlying meaning to her words.

"I was insecure...doubted myself...let people dictate how I lived..." she ticks off obvious faults. "With a little help from Johnny and Francis, I've changed my life for the better."

"What kind of changes?"

"I quit modelling." she smiles at that, knowing that he knew exactly how she felt about that. "Laura was surprised, but she didn't fight me on it."

"That's good." he admits, remembering how much she hated it. "So you're back at Kelly's?"

"Yeah." she shakes her head. "I start on Monday."

"I'm happy for you."

"That's...um...that's not the only changes I've made." Elizabeth says carefully. "I've made other changes, as well."

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth wasn't sure if she should tell him everything, but a part of her really wanted to.

"I've decided to open up my own art gallery." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile when his lips turn up into a smirk. "Francis is actually going to be my partner...he's footing half the bill for the building I want."

Jason absorbed that, wondering how much he could have possibly missed over these last few months.

"What if I paid for half?" Jason finds himself asking, wondering if she'd let him since she was letting Francis.

"What?" she looks at him confusedly. "But if you pay for half and Francis pays for the other half...I wouldn't own anything."

"No...I meant, what if I paid for half instead of Francis?" Jason amends, looking at her intently. "What if I was your partner?"

"You want to do that?" Elizabeth looks at him curiously. "Why?"

"I believe in your artwork." Jason says simply. "It would mean a lot if I could do this for you."

"Okay...but you have to tell Francis." she says carefully. "He was really excited about it."

"I'll talk to him." he laughs softly, knowing exactly how Francis feels about Elizabeth. "So that's a yes? You'll let me pay for half the building?"

"That's a yes." Elizabeth shakes her head, holding out her hand before retracting it slightly. "But there's something you should know before we actually buy the building...'

"Okay." Jason drops his hand to his side.

"Lucky and I..."

"Elizabeth." he stops her. "I really don't want to hear that you're still together. That's fine if you are...just don't say it."

"I wasn't going to." Elizabeth tilts her head slightly. "I was going to say that Lucky and I broke up."

"What?" he looks at her in pure shock, he had not been expecting that.

"Actually, I broke up with him." Elizabeth amends. "I told you that I made a lot of changes...he was one of them."

"What do you want me to say to that?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you to know before we did this...so we can go into this partnership without secrets." Elizabeth explains, holding out her hand. "So...partners?"

"Partners." he says without hesitation, taking her hand in his.

"Okay." she shakes his hand before allowing the connection to break. "So...you're pretty much free for the rest of the night?"

"Pretty much...why?" he looks at her curiously, a gleam in her eyes that he hasn't seen before.

"Well...if you're up to it...maybe we can ride until sunrise." Elizabeth suggests carefully, watching his eyes for some kind of reaction. "I've really missed riding."

"Sure." he replies after a moment, walking with her back to the bike and handing her the helmet.

"Maybe you can even let me drive?"

"Nice try." he laughs softly before straddling the bike. "This time...I do want to be the one that decides where we're gonna go."

"Fair enough." Elizabeth accepts, strapping on the helmet before straddling the bike behind him.

As they take off into the night, once again, Jason's mind was formulating a different plan. A better plan. A plan to make sure this partnership turns into something more. A lot more and very much permanent. He wasn't expecting her to be single when he returned, but he wasn't one to complain. Not when something's in his favor, anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

Getting back from their ride, Jason walks Elizabeth up to her studio, not wanting to leave her just yet. Though he has often thought of her, of having her on the back of his bike, Jason's memories did her no justice. No amount of mental imaging could ever match up to the real thing.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, couldn't wait until the next time she gets the chance to be on his bike. She has dreamt of it for so long, way before he even left, and it was everything she had imagined and more. Nothing ever measured up to being on his bike, with her arms wrapped around him, and she doubts anything ever will.

"You should get some rest before we meet with the real estate agent." Jason says softly, standing in front of her, outside her studio.

"Yeah...and you should talk to Francis." she counters with a slight smile.

"I know." he assures, reaching up to tuck away a stray strand of hair from her face. "See you later."

"Jason, wait." she takes hold of his hand. "You can't leave yet."

"Why not?" he looks at her intently, wondering what was going on in that beautiful head of hers.

"Well...this may sound crazy..."

"Try me."

"Its just that...what if I go to sleep and I wake up to find that this has been a dream?" Elizabeth questions. "So far it has all been too good to be true and I don't want to wake up to find that none of it was real."

"Okay...what if I give you something?" Jason mulls over her fears. "When you wake up, you'll still have it, and you'll know that I'm really back."

"Like what?"

"Well, I bought something in Italy that reminded me of you." Jason explains, digging in his back pocket for the postcard. "It reminded me of the painting you made for me."

"No way." she takes the postcard in her hands, looking at it the same way she had looked at the hunk of red glass. "This art is way better than mine."

"Not to me." Jason says in a hushed tone. "Anyway, now you can go to sleep and it'll be your reminder when you wake up."

"Thank you, Jason."

Wrapping her arms around him, Elizabeth rests her head against his chest, smiling at the fact that he had thought about her while he was away. She had hoped that she clouded his mind the way he had clouded hers, but now she knows for sure.

"Sweet dreams." he says softly, placing a kiss upon her forehead before pulling away. "I'll see you later."

"Count on it." she replies, smiling slightly before walking into her studio, leaving an equally satisfied Jason in her wake.

Jason stares at her door for a moment longer before digging for his keys that he had slipped into his pocket. It was in that moment that he remembered the key she had given him that fateful winter. He had been grateful that she didn't accept the key back, he didn't really want to give it, but he wanted to see if she'd tell him to keep it.

Its been on his key ring, right beside the key to his bike, ever since. No matter how much he believed things would never progress with Elizabeth, he couldn't bring himself to part with it. With a slight smile, Jason glances at the door once more before leaving the building. He still had a lot to do.

Of course, all of his other priorities are pushed back for the moment, Francis being his first stop. He needed to get that conversation over with before he did anything else. He's going to meet up with Elizabeth to sign for the building that afternoon and he needed to deal with Francis before then.

"Jason." Francis greets him, showing him into his apartment before shutting the door. "I guess you got the emails."

"Yeah. I got them." Jason concedes. "Thanks for sending them."

"Johnny's idea." Francis shrugs, walking over to his closet to grab his gun. "He felt you deserved to know."

"And you didn't?"

"Wasn't my place to decide either way." Francis shrugs, securing his gun at the small of his back. "My place is as Elizabeth's friend and that's it. I'm not a relationship guru."

"Right." Jason shakes his head. "Look, I need to talk to you about the building you're buying with Elizabeth."

"What about it?" Francis counters, turning to look at him intently.

"I want to pay for the half you were going to pay for." Jason says carefully. "I spoke to her about it and she agreed to let me help her."

"And you expect me to just step aside?" Francis guesses, arching his eyebrow. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm asking."

"Asking or telling?"

"Asking." Jason says firmly. "Do we have a problem?"

"Not unless you intend to hurt her." Francis shakes his head. "Elizabeth has fought really hard to get to where she is right now...I'd hate for all her hard work to be for nothing."

"I'll never hurt her." Jason states. "She's the most important person in my life."

"Good." Francis grabs his jacket from the coat rack. "Then have at it."

"What?"

"Look, I wasn't going to be her partner forever." Francis shakes his head. "I was only paying for half until she could buy me out. It was just a temporary fix to buy the place before the owner fixed it up and the price skyrocketed."

"Temporary?"

"Yeah." Francis assures. "Temporary."

"She didn't tell me anything about it being temporary." Jason wondered what that meant.

"Maybe because she didn't want it to be temporary with you." Francis suggests, pulling open the door; so much for not meddling. "All those times she was hurt, it was because she hated herself for letting you go. Now that you're back, maybe she just wants to keep you around."

"Yeah." he shakes his head, taken aback by that tidbit. She was distracted because she was hurting after he left.

_I don't hurt because of you, I'd hurt without you. _her words echo in his mind.

"Let yourself out." Francis says simply. "I have to go pick up O'Brien."

Leaving Jason to his thoughts, Francis leaves to pick up Johnny before getting breakfast for Elizabeth and going to check on her. Jason, on the other hand, leaves Francis's place to check in with Sonny at the warehouse. He couldn't handle seeing Carly just yet. He's building up to that confrontation.

"Sonny." Jason greets his friend, accepting the hug. "I have to be out of here before noon so lets get started."

"What are you doing at noon?" Sonny dares to ask.

"Meeting Elizabeth." he says simply, but refuses to elaborate. "Can we get started?"

"Sure." Sonny shakes his head, letting the topic drop. "Lets get started."

Elizabeth wakes up a few hours later, not as tired as she had thought she'd be. Immediately after her thoughts returned to her, Elizabeth searched the bed for the postcard, hoping that it would be there. That it wasn't all a dream.

Yanking away the other pillow, Elizabeth breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of the beautiful postcard laying beneath it. Picking it up, she hugged it to her chest before closing her eyes. He's really back. She really spent all of last night with him.

"Elizabeth." Francis calls into the studio, standing in the doorway. "You decent?"

"Decent enough." she assures, placing the postcard on her side table before walking out from her makeshift bedroom. "Mm...breakfast smells good."

"I'd hope so." Johnny counters. "I cooked it."

"You cooked breakfast?" Elizabeth looks at him curiously. "This should be interesting."

"Ha, ha, funny." Johnny shuts the door before walking over to the desk. "Just figured I'd do something special since we won't be seeing each other as much."

"Says who?" she counters, grabbing a few plates from her shelf.

"Now that Jason's back..." Johnny left his sentence hanging, knowing she'd get it.

"So?" she counters. "Jason being back doesn't change anything. We'll see each other as much as ever."

"Good." Francis smiles slightly. "Now lets eat. Who knows if it'll be any good cold."

"Shut up." Johnny nudges him before opening the containers.

Sitting on the couch to have breakfast with her guys, Elizabeth couldn't help but realize just how much her life has changed. Where Emily and Nikolas used to be, now sit Johnny and Francis. Both men having quickly become her very best friends.

Where Lucky would usually occupy her heart, Jason has found his way to take that place. Her love for him surrounds her heart and fills every last crevice. Though it was new, she couldn't imagine her life being any other way. Even with Jason back, she couldn't lose Johnny and Francis in her life. They've both come to mean too much.


	10. Chapter 10

Throughout his meeting with Sonny, he could tell that his friend wanted to further defend his wife, but he wouldn't give him the chance to. Jason has defended Carly more than his fair share of times, he knows all the kinds of excuses that Sonny could think of and others that his friend will soon come to think of. He just wasn't in the mood to hear any of it. Not now. Not anymore.

"I'm gonna be busy for the rest of the day." Jason says simply as they walk out of the warehouse. "I've got some personal stuff to handle."

"Anything I can help with?" Sonny questions, wondering if his friend would tell him what he's up to.

"Nothing I can't handle." Jason assures, shaking his head. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." Sonny manages to get out before Jason starts up his bike and rides off into the town.

While Jason rides off to meet up with Elizabeth at the art gallery, or what soon will be her art gallery, Sonny is left wondering if he could do anything to stop the changes that were undoubtedly about to happen. The look in Jason's eye told him that much. It wasn't a far stretch to guess what Jason was going to do in regard to Carly, but where Sonny lands after his friend is done...well, that was the question that Sonny just couldn't help but want the answer to.

"You know, I was really looking forward to getting this place with you." Francis comments, walking Elizabeth up to the front door.

"I know you were." Elizabeth smiles apologetically. "I was looking forward to it, too."

"Its okay...I get it." Francis leans over and kisses her forehead. "I just hope things fall into place the way you want it to."

"Yeah." Johnny chimes in, slinging his arm across her shoulders. "Or Jason'll have to answer to us."

"Right." Francis laughs. "Says the guy that nearly had a heart attack when Jason lost his temper."

"That's different." Johnny defends. "The guy's crazy scary when he loses it."

"Uh-huh, sure." Francis shakes his head. "But he's right...he'll have us to answer to if he does anything to hurt you."

"Aw, you guys." Elizabeth throws her arms around her guys. "You have no idea how much that means to me. I love you guys!"

"We love you, too, kid." Francis assures, stroking her hair softly before pulling out of the embrace, taking Johnny with him. "Well, we'll leave you to it."

"Yeah." Johnny shakes his head, hearing the sound of Jason's motorcycle nearing the building. "See you later, Liz."

Elizabeth watches them leave, a soft smile on her lips the entire time, knowing that they'd stand up to Jason for her if it came to that. Taking the loyalty that their kind of business required, for them to go against that for her, it was something to never take for granted. Hearing the bike grow even closer, Elizabeth turns away from the direction that her guys left to look in the direction that Jason's bike was coming from.

"Hey." she greets him, walking over to meet him at his bike. "You ready to buy a building?"

"Sure." he smiles slightly, settling the bike on its stand. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah." she assures, walking with him to the door. "Waking up was sort of a heart stopper though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I couldn't find your postcard at first." she explains, laughing softly. "You must think I'm crazy."

"Not at all." he assures, realizing what that meant. "So, should I assume you found it?"

"I would have went looking for you if I didn't." she admits, turning to look at him. "You'd tell me if you were leaving town, wouldn't you?"

"Don't I always?" he counters, reaching up to brush away the strands of hair that fell over her face. "Besides, I'm not leaving town anytime soon. Trust me on that."

"Good to know." she couldn't help the slight blush the creeps up the side of her neck to color her cheeks. "Well, the real estate said she'd be waiting for us inside."

Walking into the building, they find the real estate agent in the largest room, greeting her before getting down to business. She was a little taken aback at the sight of Jason, but didn't voice any of her concerns or thoughts. Jason, of course, wanted to go over the contracts, making sure everything was on the up and up before signing the documents and letting Elizabeth sign them, as well.

"Congratulations, Ms. Webber and Mr...Mr. Morgan." the real estate agent hands the keys to Elizabeth. "I hope to see what you do with the building once its up and running."

"I'll be sure to send you the invitation." Elizabeth assures, turning to Jason with a bright smile, barely noticing the lady walk out the door. "I can't believe I really did it! Well, we really did it! We bought a building!"

"Yeah...we did." he laughs softly when she throws her arms around him, hugging him tightly, prompting him to wrap his arms around her. "Thank you for letting me do this for you."

"Thank you for asking." she counters, pulling away slightly to stare into his eyes. "This really feels like a fresh start for both of us."

"Yeah." he shakes his head. "That's exactly what this feels like."

"I should be getting to work." she admits, stepping out of his embrace. "What about you?"

"I'm gonna visit my grandmother." he concedes, gesturing for the door. "Would you like a ride?"

"I thought you'd never ask." she laughs softly, linking arms with him. "If I haven't said it already, I'm really glad you're home."

"Me, too."

Straddling the bike, the two speed off down the road, Elizabeth's arms tightly secured around Jason. Unlike many times before, she doesn't throw her head back into the wind. Instead, she lays her head against his back, holding him close as he drives her to work. She knows that this ride won't last long, so, she decides to make the most of it.

"Thanks for the ride." Elizabeth can't help the smile that graces her lips when he leans in and kisses her cheek. "What was that for?"

"Just because." he says softly. "See you later?"

"I get off at nine...if you want, you can give me a ride home."

"I'll be here." he says without hesitation. "See you then."

"Can't wait."


	11. Chapter 11

Driving through town, not really enjoying the ride like he usually does, Jason makes it to the mansion in record time. Dismounting the bike in one swift movement, he makes his way up the pathway before slipping through the side entrance, finding his grandmother on the back patio having her tea.

"Jason, dear, what a pleasant surprise." Lila greets him, a bright smile on her face as he leans in to kiss her cheek. "When did you get back to town?"

"Yesterday." he concedes, taking the offered seat. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I assure you." Lila shakes her head, setting her cup down. "The last we spoke, you seemed quite adamant in not returning. Should I be concerned?"

"Not at all." he smiles slightly, seeing that unconditional love shine through her eyes. "Things just changed."

"What kind of things?" she counters. "If you don't mind me asking."

"The reason I left changed into the reason I came home." Jason admits but doesn't elaborate. "Everything's okay with me...you don't have to worry."

"You look happy." she comments, finally seeing the light behind his eyes. "Are you happy, Jason?"

"Yeah, I am." he takes her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Happier than I've ever been."

They talk more on what he did while he was away, places he visited, swapping stories during their time apart. He was glad to see her so strong, no signs of her health declining, which put him in better spirits. The last time they had spoken, before he left, he had been worried for her. She looked ill and it almost stopped him from leaving town. The pain of loving Elizabeth had been too strong, though, and he left regardless.

"Elizabeth." Emily's voice stops her in her tracks, prompting her to turn and look at her.

"Emily." she replies, setting the coffee pot down on the counter. "What can I get you?"

"My usual." Emily says simply, watching as Elizabeth jots it down before walking over to pass it back to the cook. "Is this how its gonna be?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Elizabeth counters, pouring her a glass of orange juice. "Will that be all?"

"Yeah...that'll be all." Emily states before stopping Elizabeth from walking away. "We're gonna have to talk about it sooner or later."

"We've talked about it and you've said what you had to say." Elizabeth counters, eyeing her seriously. "You don't like the changes I've made in my life, I get it, but its my life and I have to live it how I choose to. Same as you."

"Changing some aspects of your life is one thing, but changing every aspect...don't you think that's overdoing it?"

"No, I don't think I've overdone it." Elizabeth says simply, picking up the coffee pot. "Its my life, Em. At the end of the day, I have to do what makes me happy and that's what I've done."

"So, that's it?" Emily questions, looking at her curiously. "After everything we've been through together, this is how our friendship ends?"

"That's your choice." Elizabeth counters. "I'll always be your friend...I'll always be here when you need me...but I won't let you or anyone else tell me how to live my life. Never again."

Emily waited long enough for her food, paying for it before leaving the diner, completely shocked at the way Elizabeth handled her challenge. She had expected her friend to fight for their friendship, to say that she was sorry and that they'd find a way to fix things between them, but she didn't do that. Instead, she's straddled with the choice of continuing their friendship or not.

"Thank you for stopping by to see me, my dear." Lila says gratefully, smiling as he rises to his feet. "And I'll call you with the time and place."

"Thank you." he says softly, kissing her cheek. "I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"Of course." Lila shakes her head. "There's not much I wouldn't do for you, you know that."

"Yeah...I know." Jason assures, taking a deep breath. "Take care of yourself."

"I will if you'll do the same."

Saying goodbye, Jason leaves the mansion, having other matters to attend to before he picks Elizabeth up after her shift. Next stop on his list, his sister's boyfriend and pain in his neck, Zander Smith. Straddling his bike, he speeds off into town, making his way to the apartment that the kid has taken residence, according to Stan.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" Zander exclaims, walking into his apartment to find Jason sitting on his club chair - gun in hand.

"Get comfortable." Jason gestures to the couch. "I'm gonna talk, you're gonna listen."

"You gonna kill me?" Zander counters, shutting the door before walking over to the couch, slowly sitting down. Never taking his eyes off of Jason.

"If I was gonna kill you, you'd be dead." Jason counters, shrugging slightly. "You had to have been expecting this...since you're dating my sister."

"Oh."

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen up." Jason rises to his feet, walking over to aim the gun at Zander's head. "I don't trust you. I don't like you. So, if I ever find out that you're treating my sister with less respect than she deserves, make no mistake, I will make it as if you never existed, understood?"

"Understood."

"Whatever you think you know about me, whatever you think I'm capable of..." Jason says firmly, the threat of death in his eyes. "Trust me, you don't know the half of it."

Leaving his threat hanging, Jason secures his gun at the small of his back before leaving a stunned Zander in his wake. It kind of felt good to finally put the fear of god in that kid's eyes, having wanted to strangle the idiot for kidnapping his sister. What Emily sees in him, Jason will never understand, but he will accept.

"Hey, Lizzie." Sarah greets her, a soft smile on her lips. "Lucky and I were just talking about you."

"Oh, yeah?" she looks at them curiously. "Why is that?"

"Well, I was really hoping you'd call to set up something for us to hangout, but you still haven't." Sarah points out. "So, I figured I'd take the initiative to set up something for us."

"I'm really busy, Sarah." Elizabeth counters. "I just bought a building to start up a gallery..."

"Right." Lucky looks at her skeptically, sarcasm in his words. "You bought a building."

"I did." Elizabeth states. "Believe it or not, I really don't care."

"That's really great, Lizzie." Sarah comments. "Maybe I can help you get it up and running."

"I'll let you know." Elizabeth concedes, taking a deep breath. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."

Walking away from them, she heads back inside to finish her shift. By the time nine o'clock rolled around, Elizabeth was beyond sick of seeing her former friends, needing an escape now more than ever. Clocking out, she gives the keys to her reliever before grabbing her jacket and shrugging into it. She was about to walk outside when she spotted Carly and Jason.

"Jase?" Carly looks at him in shock. "Wha...when did you get back to town?"

"Last night." Jason barely hugs her when she wraps her arms around him.

"Last night?" Carly looks at him in completely stunned. "And I'm only seeing you now?"

"I've been busy."

"Too busy to stop by the penthouse?" Carly counters. "Come on, no way you're that busy."

"You'd be surprised." Jason says simply, feeling her gaze on him, hiding the smile that dared to creep onto his face at the thought of having her on the bike with him.

"Okay...well, how about you come by tonight?" Carly suggests. "We can catch up and you can spend time with Michael..."

"Can't." he cuts her off. "I've got plans."

"Plans?" she looks at him skeptically. "What plans?"

Gesturing for her to walk outside, Jason waits for Elizabeth to stand beside him before giving Carly one firm look, daring her to say anything against them. Standing in pure stunned silence, Carly watches as Elizabeth and Jason walk off to his bike, straddling it before taking off into the night. The only thing that could register in her mind is that it couldn't be happening. There was no way that he was taking muffin's side over hers. No way.

"You okay?" Elizabeth asks him when they get to her studio.

"Yeah." he shakes his head. "I'm fine."

"Okay." she accepts, not wanting to push. "Would you...would you like to come inside?"

"Yeah." he smiles slightly. "I'd like that."


	12. Chapter 12

From the moment he stepped into the studio, Jason has been stunned into silence, taking in all the changes she had made to her studio in an attempt to make it a home. Elizabeth began to grow nervous as he simply stood in the middle of the room, looking at each and every change she had made.

"I, uh..." she laughs nervously. "I told you I made a lot of changes."

"Yeah." he says simply, looking at her curiously. "I can see that."

"You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that." he walks over to her, smiling slightly. "Sometimes change is good."

"So...you do like it?" she questions with uncertainty. "Be honest, Jason."

"Is it important that I feel one way or the other?" Jason counters, trying to see the truth behind her inquiry.

"Well...yeah." she concedes, meeting his eyes with seriousness etched in hers. "This studio is as much your as it is mine. I want you to like it."

"Okay." Jason shakes his head, glad that she saw it the way he saw it. "Then, yeah, I like it."

"Really?" she looks hopeful, a bright light shining through her eyes. "You really like it?"

"Yeah." he turns away from her, walking over to sit on the couch. "The fact that you left the couch here is my favorite part."

"Good." she lets out the breath she had not realized she was holding. "I'm glad."

"So, tell me..." he pats the spot next to him on the couch, continuing once she's seated. "What other changes have you made?"

"Hmm, lets see." she ticks away changes in her mind. "I think you pretty much know everything."

"No other changes that I need to know about?"

"Nope." she shakes her head. "Well...maybe there's one thing."

"What thing?"

"I'm not really friends with Emily and Nikolas anymore." she concedes. "Johnny and Francis pretty much sum up the friends I have."

"What happened with Em?"

"She doesn't like the changes I've made to my life." she says simply. "Its okay, though...I've learnt to accept it."

Though she says she's okay with it, Jason could see that the loss of her friendships have hit her hard, but she's trying to act like it doesn't bother, like always. No matter how hard something hits her, no matter how much it hurts, she always finds it necessary to act strong because its what she thinks people expect from her. Which wasn't the case with him, but he won't call her out on it, not right now.

"I'm sorry." he says with complete sincerity. "I know that the two of you were as close as friends could be."

"Yeah...we were." she shakes her head of the emotions that cloud them. "Anyway, why don't you tell me about your time away? How was Italy?"

He knew that she was changing the subject and he'll let her. It was evident that she wasn't ready to handle the loss of her friendships and he won't let her face them until she's ready. For now, he'll indulge her curiosities and tell her about his time away, about all the places he had made it to. About Italy.

Hours would pass before they finally realize how late it had gotten, prompting Jason to rise to his feet before preparing to leave. A part of him wanted to stay, but he didn't want to push things too far. No matter how feels about the fact she had kicked Lucky out of her life, even though she didn't know he'd be coming back, Jason had to respect that they still had things to work out. Only Elizabeth had another belief entirely.

"Jason." she stops him from opening the door by blocking his path. "Don't go."

"Elizabeth..."

"Like I said...this place is ours." she says seriously, staring up into his eyes. "Stay here...stay with me."

"I don't think that's such a good..."

Elizabeth knew that he was going to back out, that he was going to do the respectful thing, only that was the farthest thing from what she wanted. Since he popped back into her life out of nowhere, going as far as buying a building with her, Elizabeth began to believe that this was her chance. That it was now or never, she had to put her all in it or let him walk away forever.

So, not knowing what else to do, she grabs a chunk of his jacket in each hand, pulling him to her with a strong tug before slamming her lips into his to shut him up. She wants him to stay with her and she refuses to let his respectable ways get in the way of that. She wants him and she intends to get just that.

"Stay here, Jason." she insists, pulling away slightly, their lips still just a breath apart. "Stay with me."

"Elizabeth..." he tries to think past her name, but the kiss had taken all ability to process any thought at all.

"Every time I let you walk out of this studio, I hated myself because all I wanted was for you to stay." Elizabeth says seriously, making him meet her eyes. "I won't make that mistake again, Jason. Please, say you'll stay."

Reaching up, gently caressing her cheek in his hand, Jason was truly captivated by the emotions flooding her eyes. It was a look that he had only seen in glimpses, but never before had he seen it so vibrant, so raw and real. Unable to deny her much of anything at that moment, he takes a deep breath and whispers 'okay'.

Licking his lips slightly, he claims hers with his, deepening the kiss slightly but being sure to not let it go too far. Tonight wasn't something he had planned, wasn't something he foresaw, but he can deal with it. He can tweak his plans to accommodate it because, after all, she's happy. Which, in turn, makes him a very happy man.


	13. Chapter 13

Slowly waking from her peaceful slumber, Elizabeth takes a deep breath as she feels a warmth spread over her, making her realize that she wasn't alone in bed. The feeling of his arm around her prevented her from being fearful, knowing that there was no mistaking that arm for anyone else's. Carefully turning around, she moves to face him, truly captivated by how calm he looked, how relaxed.

In truth, she had been so nervous to make the first move, to break the cycle that she saw them entering again, but she was glad she pushed aside the fear and took that step. Seeing him like this, realizing that she could have missed out on this moment, Elizabeth took her time relishing in it. Knowing that the peaceful moment would soon be interrupted by the complications of the outside world.

Before long, she hears the familiar sound of the door being unlocked, knowing that Francis and/or Johnny were making their way into the studio. Maneuvering her way out of Jason's embrace without waking him, Elizabeth places a soft kiss upon his forehead before rising to her feet, sliding into her slippers.

"Elizabeth?" Francis's voice calls out into the studio. "You decent?"

"Decent enough." she replies, walking out from behind the dividers. "Give me a minute? I'll be right out."

"Sure." Francis smiles slightly, noticing Jason's jacket slung over the couch, but not commenting on it. "I'll be right out here."

"Kay."

Changing out of her sleepwear and into street clothes, Elizabeth throws her hair up into a loose ponytail before meeting Francis at the door. She could tell that he knew something had changed, but he was too much of a gentleman to point it out. Something she definitely appreciated.

Making their way down to the waiting car, Elizabeth exchanges greetings with Johnny before they head off to get some breakfast. During her talk with Jason, she made sure to explain just how invested she was in making sure that her friendships with the two guys went unaffected.

She explains to him that without them, she never would have had the courage to set her life straight. He contradicted that fact, but he also assured her that he respects their place in her life. Mostly because they make her happy, but also in part because she respected Carly and Sonny's place in his life. Both sets of friends requiring equal effort of acceptance from both of them.

"So, little lady, when are the renovations going to start at your gallery?" Johnny questions, kicking back in the back seat.

"As soon as I figure out exactly how I want things to go." Elizabeth concedes, turning to look at him firmly. "Word to the wise, Johnny, call me little lady again and I'll show you just how hard this little lady will take you down."

"Whatever you say, Lizzie." Johnny smirks, laying his head back and shutting his eyes. "Just get me to some coffee, will ya, Francis?"

"Yeah, Francis." Elizabeth agrees. "Lets get him to some coffee so I can drown him in it."

"Ha, ha." Johnny rolls his eyes behind his closed lids. "Someone's on a roll today."

Francis simply shakes his head at the two, used to their little back and forth dance that they do, simply enjoying their bickering as they head to the diner for some much needed coffee and breakfast. Once he gets a good amount of both in the two, they'll tone down their little bickering to the normal level again. Finally seated at a table, waitress having jotted down their orders and poured their coffee, Francis stops her from taking the pot.

"I think you'd better just leave that." Francis says, gesturing to Johnny as he downs his hot coffee in one swift move. "He's gonna have you at this table every few seconds if you don't."

"Right." the waitress concedes, placing the pot down on a coaster. "I'll be back for it once its empty."

"Thank you." Francis replies, sliding the pot over to Johnny once the waitress walks away. "Try not to drown in it."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth shakes her head as the waitress returns with their meals, sliding a napkin over her lap before she digs into her food. She had to admit that it was a good morning overall. Waking up to Jason laying beside her in bed to having breakfast with her two guys. If her life had to gain some kind of repetitive nature, she hopes that's it.

"Hi." Jason greets her as they're about to leave.

"Hi." Elizabeth replies, smiling as their eyes meet. "I'll, uh...I'll catch up with you guys later, Francis."

"Sure." Francis nudges Johnny to start heading to the car. "We'll be at the gallery going over the plans for your new security system with Stan."

"Kay." she says simply, glancing at them as they leave before focusing on Jason. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Better than I have in a long time." he assures before pulling out a chair for her to sit. "What about you? You okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"After last night...I don't know." he shakes his head, reaching out his hand for hers across the table. "I guess I want to know if you're sure about this...if you're sure I'm the one you want to be with."

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." she says with her whole heart, stopping him from talking when he opens his mouth. "I'm serious, Jason. I have fought myself on this for so long and I'm tired of fighting it. You're the one I want to be with and I don't care who knows it. I'll shout it to the world if that'll prove it to you."

"Don't." Jason says quickly, stopping her from standing up. "I believe you, okay?"

"Good." she smirks, retaking her seat before sliding out her other hand for his. "I'm sorry its taken me this long to find my way to you, but I'm here and I want this. I want you."

"I want you, too." he assures with his whole heart. "So, we're really doing this?"

"Yeah." she says with a bright smile. "Unless you want to change your mind."

"Not gonna happen."

Leaning across the table, he grips the side of her neck with one hand, holding her in place as his lips take claim to hers. Deepening the kiss, testing each other in a way, Elizabeth and Jason drown in their embrace, both amazed that they were able to do that. After all the complications that had kept them from each other, they were really there, together, kissing like it was the most natural thing in the world.


	14. Chapter 14

_Continuance..._

Leaning across the table, he grips the side of her neck with one hand, holding her in place as his lips take claim to hers. Deepening the kiss, testing each other in a way, Elizabeth and Jason drown in their embrace, both amazed that they were able to do that. After all the complications that had kept them from each other, they were really there, together, kissing like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Elizabeth?" the sound of her sister's shocked voice forces Elizabeth to pull away from Jason's ever tempting lips in order to meet her sister's eyes. "I honestly thought Lucky had lost his mind when he said you two were an item. I guess I owe him an apology."

"Sarah." she says simply, rising to her feet while Jason remains seated, his hand in Elizabeth's as she faces her sister. "Not that its any of your business, but me and Jason just got together last night."

"Really?" Sarah was surprised by that. "The way Lucky was talking, he made it seem like you two were...never mind. Forget I said anything, forget you even saw me. I'm just gonna get some breakfast."

"Sarah." she stops her from walking into the diner, turning to Jason when she hears his cellphone ringing.

"I have to get this." Jason explains, releasing his hold on Elizabeth. "I won't be long."

"Go ahead." she smiles softly, seeing the sparks flying behind his eyes. "I'll be right here."

Watching Jason walk off, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before turning to face her sister. After all the years of knowing her sister, she wasn't sure what to make of her sister, of the way she's handling what she had seen. Normally, for Sarah anyway, she'd be flying off the handle, throwing out accusations and pointing out the many ways that Elizabeth was screwing up her life by being with Jason. Yet, there they stood, not a single insult flung, nothing.

"Is that really it?" Elizabeth eyes her intently, trying to get her angle. "You see me kissing Jason and your only reaction is to act like you didn't?"

"I know what you're expecting me to do and say, Lizzie." Sarah sighs, gesturing for them to sit. "But I meant what I said when I told you that I came back to fix our relationship. You're my sister and I'm tired of us fighting at every turn. I know I've never given you any reason to trust me, but that's what I'm asking you to do now. Take a leap of faith and just trust me."

"Okay." Elizabeth decides that her sister had just as much a right to change her life around as she did. "You're right. We're sisters...we shouldn't be the way we are. If we can change that, we should."

"Really?" Sarah looks at her with such hope that Elizabeth felt like things could really change between them. "You really mean it?"

"I really mean it." Elizabeth assures, a soft smile on her lips. "So...you really have no opinion about me and Jason being together?"

"If he makes you happy Liz, who am I to pass judgement?" Sarah shrugs, rising to her feet. "I should get going."

It was strange, to see her sister so level headed and accepting, a part of her wondering what had prompted the change in her sister to happen. She couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, but she could see that something had changed in her sister, something huge. It also made her believe that her sister really wanted things to change between them. As strange as it seemed, she really does believe her.

"Elizabeth?" Jason's voice pulls her attention away from the diner's door. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she assures, turning to look at him with a soft smile. "Was that Sonny?"

"My grandmother." he concedes. "I need to go handle something. Do you need a ride to the gallery?"

"You and me on the back of your bike?" she questions with an arched eyebrow, slowly closing the distance between them. "How could I possibly refuse?"

"The point is that you don't." he returns, wrapping his arms around her once she's within reach. "I want you to know that I'm going to be making changes in my life, a lot of changes, and..."

"Am I one of them?" she counters, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Yeah...only in the best of ways." he assures, kissing her softly before pulling away. "I just need you to trust that I know what I'm doing and what I want when I make these changes to my life."

"I trust you." she says simply, staring into his love filled blue eyes. "Whatever changes you plan on making to your life, if you need my help..."

"I won't, but I appreciate the offer." he had to admit that her acceptance of his choice made him that much more adamant in making the changes he has planned to make. "Come on, lets get you to the gallery."

Taking his hand as he holds it out to her, the two make their way to his bike, straddling it before taking off through the town. With her arms around him, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of changes he plans to make, but she knew better than to ask him about it. He'll tell her when he's ready or she'll just find out when he makes the changes. Either way, as long as she's still a part of his life, she welcomes his new outlook on life.

"See you later?" she asks as she stands by him.

"Yeah." he assures, his hand on her hip as he leans in to kiss her, moving to kiss her forehead once they pull away. "Call me if you need a ride home, okay?"

"I will."

Jason waits long enough for her to make it into the gallery, waving slightly when she turns to look at him one last time when she stands in the doorway, before starting up his bike and taking off to the mansion. He wasn't sure how this meeting's going to go down, but he knew that he had to get it out of the way if he plans on making all the changes he has decided to make.

While he's on his way to meet up with various members of the Quartermaine clan, Elizabeth makes her way through the gallery, finding her guys in the room that will prove to be her art studio, once she figures out how she wants it to look, of course. So far, she has only thought of how the walls will look, the rest of it is up in the air still.

"About time you showed up." Johnny comments as she walks over to them. "We were starting to think you two ran away to elope or something."

"He was thinking that." Francis corrects, smacking the back of Johnny's head. "I'm glad you're here. Stan was just finishing up the details for your system, but he wants your approval before he finalizes the schematics."

"Hey, Stan." she greets him as she makes her way over to the group, pulling up a chair to sit beside him.

"Hey, Liz." Stan greets in return before turning the screen to face her. "So, basically, this is how I want your security system to look. Its a bit on the overly cautious side, but from what Francis tells me, I find it appropriate."

"Overly cautious is right." she counters, turning to look at Francis. "You really think all these precautions are necessary?"

"Seeing as more than half the people you are close to work for the mob...I'd say, yeah. Its necessary." Francis says bluntly, knowing it was the best way to get the point across. "Care to contradict me?"

"Well, since you put it that way..." Elizabeth sighs, turning to look at Stan. "I guess I have to approve."

"Don't worry, Liz." Stan pats her leg softly before turning to his computer. "The system is completely user friendly. You won't even realize how complex the system really is once its in use."

"Whatever you two think is necessary." Elizabeth concedes, glancing between Stan and Francis. "I trust both your judgements."

"What about me?" Johnny counters, looking at her intently, feigning offence.

"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny." she shakes her head, laughing softly. "Someone's feelings getting hurt?"

"Maybe." Johnny knows that she trusts him, but it didn't hurt to make her say it once in a while.

"Fine, if you have to hear it..." Elizabeth shrugs her shoulders. "Yes, I trust your judgement, too, but not when it comes to my security system."

"Why not?" Johnny questions, surprised by her admission.

"If it were up to you, I'd have round the clock guards with automatic weapons. Not to mention, invisible lasers set to trigger off flame throwers and god knows what else." Elizabeth points out with a shake of her head. "All of which would be completely insane."

"Point taken." he relents, knowing that he would throw out ideas like that. "I'll keep the lasers for future reference, though, thanks."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth returns her focus to the screen in front of her, watching as Stan finalizes the schematics for her security system. According to Stan, the system should be up and running by the end of the week. He's gonna have to import a few of the parts before he can put it together, but it shouldn't take too long once he has all the parts.

"I should be getting to work." Elizabeth says a while later, rising to her feet. "Johnny, you gonna give me a ride?"

"Isn't that Jason's job?" Johnny counters, rising to his feet regardless. "I mean, he is your boyfriend isn't he?"

"Gross!" Elizabeth slaps his arm. "A ride to work you nut case."

"Right." Johnny laughs, gesturing for her to go first. "Of course, I'll give you a ride."

Saying goodbye to Francis and Stan, she walks out of the gallery with Johnny, getting in his truck and heading to the cafe. She had to admit that as much as they like to get on each other about pretty much everything, she appreciated the time that she gets alone with him. When they're alone, they hardly talk, simply letting the comfortable silence fall upon them.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're letting Francis and Stan do what they need to do with your system." Johnny admits, pulling into the parking lot before turning to look at her. "It helps ease the worry that something could happen to you."

"I know." she smiles slightly. "That's why I agreed to it."

"Have fun at work."

"I will." she assures, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "See you tomorrow."

"Sure thing."

Getting down, Elizabeth waves at him before making her way into the diner to start her shift, not at all surprised when she walks in and finds Emily sitting at the counter. Maybe it was because she was having such a good day that she knew something would happen to balance out her day, but somehow she just knew that she'd be seeing her and there she is.

"Emily." she greets her as she walks behind the counter. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" Emily counters, looking at her plainly. "Since when do you care about how I'm doing now that you have your new life and your new friends?"

"You know what, forget it." Elizabeth snatches the order booklet from under the counter. "I don't know why I even bothered."

"That makes both of us."


End file.
